Inside Fan Pier's Salon Mario Russo

This may come as a shocker, but not everyone loves going to the salon to get their hair done. For me and my thick ponytail, appointments usually mean a four-hour ordeal of waiting, consulting, foiling, waiting, washing, more consulting, cutting, and drying. Styling alone takes 45 minutes. (I know, I know: Poor me! But, seriously, am I alone in dreading this long process? Leave a comment below.) The moment I know that a salon can, well, get it right is when an appointment feels like five minutes, but the finished product looks like it took hours. Salon Mario Russo’s second location, which opened at Fan Pier this spring, had that effect on me. Here’s the salon’s powerful trifecta:

1) Now, the new space might have an unfair advantage: Broad and beautiful sunshine-in windows that look out on Fan Pier make more relaxing as opposed to waiting. Plus, the cozy modern space utilizes every foot, so there’s no wasted time traipsing from station to station. 2) Also trimming your appointment time? Fan Pier’s ample and cheap — $12 — parking, which will save you precious minutes on the coming and the going. 3) Perhaps most important, the attentive staffers deliver expert advice. Stylist Gary Croteau, who has been with Mario Russo for 20 years, knew within seconds of looking at my facial features and hair texture exactly what I needed most.

So, how long was my cut-and-color appointment? I can’t recall, which is the beauty of it.